Automatic stop mechanism



Jan. 15, 1929. 1,698,888

E. LAXO AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM Filed Feb. 23, 1926 Ill!!! INVENTOR n LAXO [f B c A ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDLAXO, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOB, IBY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CON- TINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC STOP MECHANISM.

Application filed. February 23, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic stops for power driven machines and more particularly to a stop mechanism designed for use in connection with cam making machinery; the principal object of the invention being to provide means for stopping the machine in the event that the feed of can bodies thereto is interrupted. Also, for starting the machine when the delivery of bodies thereto is again resumed.

More specifically stated, the object of the invention resides in the provision of an automatic stop and starting mechanism, controlled by action of a solenoid to which an electric current is delivered under the control of a switch lever supported in such position as to be engaged by the cans delivered to the machine and to be held thereby in open position but which will swing to circuit closing position in the event that the supply of cans is exhausted, or theirdelivery to the machine is for any reason stopped, and Will thereby cause the solenoid to be energized and act to shift the mechanism to-position to stop the machine.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and in the combination of parts and in their mode of operation, as is hereinafter described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a view showing diagrammatically and in side elevation, an automatic stop and starting mechanism embodied by the present invention illustrating the wiring connections between the solenoid, the switch contacts and source of electricity.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the stop mechanism, as shown in Figure 1.

F'gure 3 is a detail view showing the position to which the trip lever is shifted by the solenoid for stopping the machine.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawings 1 designates What may be aninclinedv chute along which cans, or can bodies, as designated at 2. may be delivered to the machine wit-h which the present automatic stop is used, The machine, not herein illustrated, is

Serial No. 89,905.

shaft 3. The clutch cone is adapted to be shifted onthe shaft, for the purpose of setting or releasmg the clutch, by the action of a shipper lever 9 having a yoke 10 at its upper end that embraces opposite sides of the I clutch cone and is equipped with pins 11 that .extc'nd into a circumferential groove 12 in the cone collar 8.

The shipper lever 9 is fixedly mounted at the 1111181 end of an arm 13 that is mounted pivotally on a supporting shaft, or pin 14,

' and which extends parallel with the shaft 3 to a position forwardly of the pulley wheel 4. Pivotally attached to the forward end of the arm 13 through the intermediacy of a link 15, is an upwardly extended trip lever 17 provided, at its upper end, with two spaced apart, outwardly and upwardly directed arms 18 and '19 which extend along opposite sides of a ratchet 20 that is formed with or is attached to the hub of the pulley wheel so as to revolve therewith; the ratchet being provided with a plurality of teeth, or notches 21, facing in the direction or rotation of the pulley.

To permit lateral movement of the lever 17 in either direction, as well as to permit the required pivotal action of the arm 13, the link 15 is attached, at the lower end, to the arm by means of a bolt 16 extended transversely through the arm and, at its upper end, is attached pivotally to the lower end of the lever 17 by means of a bolt 16' disposed at a right angle to the bolt 16.

At its upper end the arm 18 of the lever '17 is provided with an inturned hook 22 adapted, by certain shifting of the lever, to engage in opposed relation with teeth of the ratchet. Also, provided in the inner edge of the arm 19, which is somewhat longer than the arm 18 and which curves inwardly toward its-upper end, is a shoulder 24 adapted also to oppose the teeth of the ratchet when moved into contact therewith. Normally, both the hook and the shoulder are disengaged from the ratchet but by the action of a solenoid, presently described, may be shifted into contact therewith for the purpose of setting or releasing the clutch.

Supported forwardly of the pulley and at one side of the lever 17, as shown in Figure 1, is a vertically disposed solenoid 26 having a downwardly extending armature, or core 27, which, at its lower end, is operatively attached by means of a pin 28 with the horizontal arm 29 of a bell crank lever 30 that is pivotally attached by means of a pin 31 to .a

bracket 32 that depends downwardly and laterally from the solenoid. The bell crank has a vertically extending arm 34 disposed along the outer side of the lever 17 and a stud 35,

fixed in the outer face of the lever 17, extends through a longitudinal slot 36 in-the arm 34 to provide an operative connection between 45 these parts which permits vertical travel of the lever with respect to the arm of the bell crank.

The means provided for controlling the action of the armature of the solenoid comprises a switch lever 40 that is pivotally supported intermediate its ends by means of a pivot pin 41 so that the end 40 of the lever underlies the chute 1 and engages with the cans 2 passing to the machine. The other end of the lever is provided with a weight 45 which causes that end to swing downwardly when the other end is disengaged.

One pole of the solenoid is connected by means of a circular wire 46 with the pivot pin 40 41 and the other pole is connected by means of a wire 47 with one side of a source of electricity, designated at 48, and the other side of the source of electricity is connected by means of a wire 50 with an adjustable con- 45 tact 52 disposed to be engaged by the lever arm 4O when the latter swings downwardly. Assuming that the parts are so constructed and are assembled with the machine, as shown, the operation would be as follows:

50 During normal working, the parts remain in the position in which they are shown in full lines in Figure 1, with the lever arm 4O disengaged t'rom the contact 52 so that the circuit to the solenoid is open, and the arms 18 and 19 55 of the strip lever 17 are both disengaged from the ratchet 20. Now, assuming that the supply of cans being delivered along the chute becomes depleted, the lever arm 40 when disengaged will swing upwardly and arm 40 will swing downwardly into engagement with ,the contact 52 to close the circuit through the solenoid whereby the armature 27 will be drawn upwardly and bell crank 30 actuated to move the lever 17 laterally from normal position into a position at which the hook 22 will be engaged by a tooth 21 of the ratchet cone outwardly thereby releasing the clutch so that the pulley will run free on the shaft 3 and the machine will stop. As the lever 17 is thus carried upwardly, the inwardly curved inner edge of the arm 18 is brought into contact with the adjacent side of ratchet 20 and the arm is shifted so that the hook 22 becomes disengaged from the ratchet. The upward travel of the lever 17 without disconnection from the bell crank is possibledue to the stud and slot connection provided and the pull upwardly of the armature retains the parts in this released position so long as the solenoid is energized.

With the delivery of cans again along the chute, the lever 40 will be rocked to a position at which it will be disengaged from the contact 52 and the circuit to the solenoid opened so that the armature is permitted to drop downwardly. This causes the bell crank to be shifted again so as to actuate the lever 17 to a position at which the shoulder 24 on arm 19 will beengaged by a tooth of the revolving ratchet and the trip lever moved downwardly so that, through the arm 13 and lever 9, the clutch mechanism will be shifted to set position and the machine again set in motion. Asthe lever 17 moves downwardly, the inwardly curved upper end portion of the arm 19 engages with the ratchet and the lever 17 is so guided that the shoulder is disengaged from the ratchet.

With the parts so arranged, it is readily apparent that the device will operate automatically to stop the machine whenever the supply of cans or bodies is depleted and will again start the machine when the supply or feed to the machine is resumed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a machine driving element, a source of power, a clutch mechanism operable to make or disconnect a driving connection between the source of power and the machine driving element, and a clutch control member operable incident to the delivery of articles into the machine for setting the clutch and automatically movable to release the clutch incident to the cessation of the delivery of articles to the machine.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving element, a source of power and mechanism including a clutch that is operable to make or release driving connection between the source of power and machine driving element of electrically operable mechanism for controlling both the setting and releasing movement of the clutch, a circuit for said mechanism and a circuit Controlling member adapted to be moved between circuit closing and opening positions disposed so as to be retained in one position by articles being delivered into the machlne and adapted to move to the -other position when not so retained. I

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a driven pulley and a clutch operable to make or release driving connection between the pulley and shaft, of a clutch shifting machanism comprising a trip actuating member rotatable with the pulley, a clutch shipper lever, a trip lever operatively connected to actuate the shipper lever and means operable under the control of articles being delivered to the machine for shifting the trip lever into posi-' tion for cont-act by the trip actuating member to effect both the release and the setting of the clutch mechanism.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a driven pulley and aeclutch operable to con nect or release the pulley from the shaft, of a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet revoluble with the pulley, a shipper lever for the clutch, a trip lever operatively connected with the shipper and having parts adapted to be engaged by the ratchet to effect move ment thereof to shift the clutch and'means operable under control of articles delivered to the machine for actuating the trip lever into contact with the ratchet for movement both for the release and'setting of the clutch.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a

driven pulley and a clutch operable to connect or release the pulley fromthe shaft, of a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet revoluble withthe pulley, a clutch shipper lever, a trip lever operatively connected with the shipper lever and having a hook thereon, electrically operable mechanism for moving the trip lever to-engage the hook with said ratchet to actuate the trip to effect release of the clutch, a circuit for tliesaid mechanism and a circuit control member disposed to be held in open position by articles delivered to the machine.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a driven pulley revoluble on the shaft and a clutch shiftable to connect the pulley with the shaft, of a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet-revoluble with the pulley, a" clutch shipper lever, a trip lever operatively connected with the shipper and having spaced apart arms extending along opposite sides of the ratchet provided with projecting parts for opposed contact with the ratchet teeth,

and mechanism operable under the control of articles delivered to the machine for actuating the trip lever laterally in one direction to cause the projection of one arm to engage the ratchet to effect release of the clutch and to actuate it in the other direction to engage a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet revoluble with the pulley, a clutch shipper lever, a trip lever operatively connected with the shipper lever and having a pair of arms extended along opposite sides of the ratchet provided respectively with a hook and a' shoulder for opposed cont-act wit-h teeth of the ratchet, a solenoid, an armature therefor operable whn energizedto actuate said hook into contact with the ratchet to effect release of the clutch and when de-energized to actuate the shoulder into contact with the ratchet to reset the clutch and a circuit control switch member adapted tobe held in open position by articles being delivered to the machine, and to close when disengaged thereby.-

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a driven .pulley revoluble on the shaft and a clutch movable to make or'release driving connection between the pulley and shaft of a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet revoluble with the pulley, a pivotally mounted arm, a clutch shipper lever mounted on and actuated by said arm, a trip leverpivotally connected to said arm and having ,a pair of arms extending along opposite sides of the .ratchet provided respectively wit-h a hook and a shoulder for opposed contact with teeth of said ratchet, a solenoid, an armature for the solenoid, a bell crank operativelyconnected with the armature and trip lever-whereby when the solenoid is energized, the armature will actuate the hook of the trip lever against the ratchet to effect release of the clutch and when de-energized will actuate the shoulder against the ratchet to reset t-heclutch, a circuit for the solenoid, and a switch lever normally held open by articles delivered to the machine but adapted to close the circuit when thedelivery of articles stops.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with its driving shaft, a driven pulley and a clutch for making or releasing driving connection between the pulley and shaft, of, a stop mechanism comprising a ratchet'fixed to revolve with the'pulley, a

pivotally mounted arm, a clutch shipper lever an armature for the solenoid, a pivotally "lever and provided with a longitudinal slot,

astud fixed in the trip lever 21nd extended into said slot, a circuit for the solenoid and :1,-

circuit control member operable from onto off positions by articles delivered to the machine.-

Signed at Seattle, King County, Washington, this 5th day of February, 1926.

ED LAXO. 

